Happy Mother's Day!

I hope you all had a great Mother's Day! We did some yard work in the morning, but decided to take the rest of the day off to do some exploring. We drove the back roads (or some might call it the "long way") and stopped at the Fish Hatchery on the south fork of the Santiam to take a break. They have a big fish tank filled with huge trout. When we held Gabe up to the tank, he started kicking and laughing. He thought it was pretty cool! He would put his hands on the glass and the fish would swim right up to them. We held him up until our arms finally gave out! Looks like I have another fish addicted guy on my hands :)

After the hatchery, we headed on to a local natural area called McDowell Creek. There are about 3 miles of hiking trails that criss cross the creek on wooden bridges. This time of year the water is flowing pretty good and the vegetation is very lush. It makes for some really great pictures.

Dan got the pleasure of carrying Gabe up the trail in his pack, while I took the return trip downhill. We have gotten so much use out of this pack (thanks Jon!) and Gabe just loves it. He kicks when you stop to try and get you going again. Kind of makes you feel like a pack mule! I find it much easier then lugging around and trying to maneuver a stroller just about anywhere.

I can say I definitely have a new found appreciation for Mother's Day and Mothers in general. It is a wonderful thing to celebrate!

My Big Boy

Gabe had his 9 month wellness exam yesterday. Here's the stats: Weight 22pounds 2ounces, Length 28 inches, and Head Circumference 49 centimeters. As you can see, he's been doing alot of eatin and thinkin!

I think he's tired of sitting around and rolling, scooting, etc. because the other day he decided to start crawling! He's not very fast yet, but I'm sure it's just a matter of time. His favorite thing to do is crawl over to something he can try and pull himself up onto. He hasn't managed to pull himself up into a stand on his own yet, but he loves to stand holding onto something when helped.

It's time to put the final touches on the Baby Proofing! I didn't think I could fall into bed at night with a more tired-happy feeling, until now. I love this job!

Boating

Gabe went on his first boat ride today, but he didn't like the life jacket much so it was just a short spin around the lake and then back to shore. (Really, Dan just wanted to get the motor started and make sure everything was running good for this summer) It is still too cold to swim, so Gabe and I watched the sail boats from shore while Dan tinkered with the boat. He enjoyed watching the huge sail boats and people with their dogs playing in the water. We will definately try boating again soon!